Praecordia
by Kemnam
Summary: When Sam and Dean are captured and forced to compete in a deadly tournament, it's going to take all the brothers have to keep their brotherhood...and their humanity. Title is Latin for "soul." were!sam, were!dean. Second story in the Verto Arc.
1. Yin and Yang

**Summary**: When Sam and Dean are captured and forced to compete in a deadly tournament, it will take all the brothers have not o loose their brotherhood...or their humanity.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the Winchesters, they belong to their rightful owners. This is merely for entertainment.

A/N: New Story. Second story in the Verto Arc. The first story is Tenebrea, so check it out. You DO NOT have to have read Tenebrea in order to follow this.

* * *

Maximilian Cortez always hated walking down the alleyways of Alis street. It was like something from a mystery movie. Leaking pipes, steaming manholes, and one solitary light at the end of the narrow stretch that illuminated a single iron door. He always felt like he was going to get mugged. The only security he had was the 9mm hidden in his jacket. Cortez was nearing the end of his prime, the hairs on the side of his head just starting to gray, and his stamina was already decreasing. Cortez shrugged. Wasn't much he could do about it, so just move on.

He knocked three times on the door. A small hatch opened up and a shaded pair of eyes peered out at Cortez. Cortez stood back and, taking off his fedora, tilted is head back, exposing his face to the light. The pair of eyes on the other side of the door opened a little wider and then the hatch slammed shut again. The door opened fully, to reveal the heavily muscled bouncer. He was bald with a dark goatee and bright blue eyes. The sounds of enormous crowds echoed through from deep within the building. The bouncer stepped aside and Cortez walked through, shrugging his jacket off. The arena can get pretty hot, especially after five or six rounds.

Cortez steadied himself for the sudden transfer of dimensions. Being a regular had taught him to be prepared for anything in this place. Cortez walked towards the sounds of the crowd, and stepped out to the huge arena. The stands were packed tonight, most of them being of Asian origin. The actual field had taken on a brick mural of the Yin-Yang symbol. Cortez looked through the crowd searching for familiar faces. He saw a hand waving at him and connected it to his assistant and secretary, Alyssa DuFlor.

Making his way through the people already seated, Cortez plopped down on a bench next to DuFlor that she had saved.

"Have I missed anything?" Max shouted over the bustle.

"They just told the story that is related to tonight's theme." DuFlor said getting right next to his ear. Her French accent seemed more jumbled than ever. "But they haven't started the match yet. Circes hasn't come out yet."

"Have you done as I asked?" Cortez gave the girl a sharp look.

"Of course."

As if on queue, the lights went dark and a spot light shined down on the hostess box. A woman in a glittering red dress stepped forward. Her lips matched her dress, and the unusual purple hue in her hair stuck out more than ever. Bright pale green eyes caught the audience's attention immediately. Circes smiled so wide her blood-red lips almost disappeared.

"Ladies and Gentleman! I cannot even begin to express what a show you are in for tonight!" Circes said, throwing her arms up. "Even I am anxious to see the victor of this battle."

Many people cheered, but Cortez and DuFlor remained stoic and unemotional.

"One of the most contemplated fights across the globe, and it will finally be settled tonight, in Circes Tournament!" The woman smiled cruelly. "And the personal history of tonight's contenders adds even more excitement, don't you think?"

Cortez and DuFlor looked around at the snickering people. Cortez gave DuFlor a questioning look, but she just shrugged.

"So it is with greatest honor, that I present to you our two aniwars!" Circes pointed to the west side of the arena. "Tonight, as the most powerful of all the big cats in the world, and the yin representative for tonight. You've heard his name before, and you've seen him defeat every other aniwar that he's come up against. Ladies and gentlemen, endowed with the tiger, Dean Winchester!"

Most people cheered, some people booed as a man-like figure was shoved out into the arena. He shielded his face from the bright lights with his clawed-hand and breathed heavily. His clothing consisted of a torn, faded denim jacket. His dark-red fur gleamed as if it had been recently cleaned, his tail currently fluffed, and his black stripes seemed as if the night sky itself had dripped down and onto his back. But most eye-catching was his beastly head.

His cream colored chest fur shined like that of an arctic fox. The thick fur around his neck and on the back of his head gave him a mighty mane. His hanging mouth exposed the inch-and-a-half long fangs. His bright forest green eyes were unmistakably human. He looked around, staring dumbfounded at the number of people in the stands. Then his eyes fell on Circes, and he very quickly filled with rage and hatred. Dean Winchester, one of the greatest supernatural hunters that ever lived, let out a roar so loud, the microphones on Circes stand began to whine.

"And his opponent tonight, a creature that has been world renowned as one of the most powerful beings in creation, and representing yang, tonight. An aniwar that has pleased audiences everywhere with his intelligence and cunning. People, endowed with the dragon, and the tiger's own brother, Sam Winchester!"

Another door opened on the other side of the arena, and a figure walked out into the spotlight. His green scales had gold edgings, giving him a distorted, majestic look. He had a dark brown unruly mane on the top of his head, down the side of his face, and also down his spine. He, too, looked like he had been cleaned and prepped recently. Two antler-like horns grew away from his serpent-like head. There was still some human resemblance in his features, like the pair of tattered shorts that he wore. His eyes were glazed over with a light blue haze.

People were going crazy. This was the fight of the season, had been the most anticipated event since people had heard that the brothers Winchester were captured by Circes and forced to contend in her tournament. Gossiped about on the internet, intensely popular on the fan sites, this was no doubt the showdown of the decade.

Cortez and DuFlor finally showed emotion. Even though their mouths were hanging open, no sound came out. They looked at each other in horror. Circes pointed at both brothers. Her eyes were wild.

"Let's begin!"

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A/N: So this is just a preview of what will happen later, towards the end of the story. I don't know why I typed this first. Guess I was just excited. I hope you guys enjoy this!

Please! Read, review, and enjoy!


	2. This town sucks

So you know what happens near the end, but just how did they get themselves in this mess?

* * *

_A few weeks earlier…_

Cheyenne wasn't Sam's favorite city in the US. It was flat, the wind blew constantly, and it was basically a truck stop town besides the college that presided in the middle of it. Sure, it had it's perks. Like the cheap yet hospitable motels, and the friendly service of the people who loved outsiders. It made them willing to please, which also meant they had no trouble answering questions regarding the disappearances that had been taking place over a certain period of times for the last fifteen years.

"I don't know, I guess we never really noticed." A woman at a café said. "Mostly they were transfer students that came to the University. And it's a small town, things come and go all the time. We all mind our own business."

"But you didn't think it was strange that every third and tenth month of the year, a string of people would go missing?" Dean said, lifting an eyebrow.

"No. Like I said, it's a small town." She shrugged.

"Well thank you for your time. Hope you have a nice day." Sam finished out with a cheesy smile, pushing Dean away before he could pursue more questions. It was late afternoon, the sun just now going down, and as far as theories and facts went, nothing was satisfactory.

"Well she was just about as helpful as the guy who owned the meat shop." Dean scoffed. "Dude, whatever's going on, it seems like the town people are in on it, and their not willing to show and tell."

"Well we know these disappearances happen in a pattern. That narrows it down to any kind of spirit, witch, or something that relies on the seasons."

"Yeah, that really narrows it down." Dean rolled his eyes, opening to door to the Impala with a squeal. Sam sighed as he too climbed into the car. He was also starting to run out of patience. He was getting tired of Cheyenne and the constant wind. The sooner they figured out what it was, the sooner they could kill it and leave.

There was barely any light left in the sky when they were driving back to the motel to turn in for the night. Sam was bleary eyed and longing for that bed. Dean let out a long yawn, shaking his head a little to drive off the weariness. There was something about doing nothing but sitting at the campus library doing research all day that was physically draining. And the fruits of their labor were little, if non existent. They figured they would have better results in the morning after a good nights rest.

"Whoa!" Dean jerked the wheel to dodge the obstacle in the middle of the road. The breaks screamed and Sam went lurching forward in his seat. The car stopped short of the thing lying in the road, in front of the intersection with Alis Street. The brothers looked at each other. They weren't tired anymore.

Sam and Dean climbed out of the car and walked around the front of the car into the headlights. It was unmistakably a dog, but a strange one at that. It had a body much like a German Shepard, but its fur was white and dark gray instead of brown and black. It didn't seem to be breathing.

"Think it's a neighborhood dog?" Dean asked. Sam observed the animal.

"It doesn't have a collar." Sam stated. He saw Dean shrug out of the corner of his eye.

"Well then it's not our problem." Dean spun to head back to the car.

"Come on, man. We should at least move it out of the road." Sam said just as Dean was opening the door. Dean gave an exasperated sigh as he slammed the door shut and went around to the front of the dog. Sam walked over to help just when Dean grabbed the animal's front paws.

Suddenly the beast came to life and snapped at Dean. Dean almost jumped away in time, but not fast enough to keep his hand from getting snatched by the animal's teeth.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean said. The dog started tugging at Dean's skin, and Dean growled to compress a scream. Sam grabbed the fur on the scruff of the dog's neck, and tried to lift it off of Dean. The dog kicked out its back legs and caught Sam on the side of the knee. Sam crumpled to the ground as the joint gave out on him in pain. The animal was incredibly strong!

When Sam looked back up, the beast had managed to get Dean onto the ground, and now had a more secure grip on Dean's upper arm. It was dragging him away from Sam, down an alley between two dark buildings. Sam sat up and quickly tested his knee. There was going to be a bruise, but it would be fine. Sam turned and sprinted after the two, disappearing into the darkness. He could hear the animals growling and Dean's yells, but it was completely dark and the sounds were echoing off the walls, making it almost impossible for Sam to pinpoint the source. Suddenly a light snapped on at the end of the alley and Sam saw the dog dragging Dean through a metal door. Only now there were also a couple of humans helping get the man inside.

"Hey!" Sam said breaking into a sprint.

The men saw Sam coming and shoved Dean inside. They tried to close the door, but Sam was too fast. He yanked the door open before it could lock and jumped inside to a small entrance room with only a dim light bulb over head. The dog still had Dean trapped on the floor, leaving Sam to deal with the men himself. He swung at the first one, and his fist collided solidly with the guy's jaw. Sam felt his knuckles compress from the immense pressure, like he had just hit a brick wall. The man clicked his jaw, and threw his fist into Sam's stomach. Sam spun back, and only came face to fist with the other man's uppercut. Sam's head snapped back, and he felt blood beginning to pool into his nose and mouth. Sam stumbled to the floor.

"Sam!" He heard Dean shout. Then there was a growl and his brother yelled out. One of the men grabbed Sam by his jacket lapels and hoisted him off the ground. Sam watched with wavering vision as the man drew back his fist. One hit was all it took.

* * *

A/N: Yay! I always like to give a good start to a new story, so I post three or four chapters at a time. If your wondering why it's got this rating, by the way, it' because of something Dean does later .

In the meantime, read, review, and enjoy!


	3. Why are women so evil?

Sam and Dean find themselves trapped in the presence of someone powerful.

* * *

"Wakey, wakey. Eggs and bacey." A high pitched voice said at the edge of the darkness. Sam opened his eyes slowly to a grand golden room. There was plush furniture and rugs everywhere, laced with red and purple silk curtains. Sam lifted his hand to his face, expecting to feel a broken nose and cut lip. But his nose wasn't crooked, and wasn't even a little bit sore. There was barely any taste of blood in his mouth, and he didn't have a headache from the one-hit KO.

"That's it." The voice said. "Rise and shine, Sammy."

"Only I'm aloud to call him that, bitch." The unmistakable voice of his brother growled.

"Some one has control issues." The other voice, now obviously a woman's, quipped back.

Sam finally took his hand away from his face and looked up to see a woman with dark hair that had a purple hue to it. Her eyes were a striking green, her lips blood red. She smiled down at him, her teeth blinding white.

"Look who finally decided to join us." The woman said.

Sam turned his head. His brother was sitting in another chair across the room, ropes bound tightly around his torso and legs. Sam sat up and the woman backed away. She was extremely beautiful, despite her odd features. Wearing a jeweled sleeves shirt and white pants, she looked like a supermodel. Especially her…

"Like what you see?" The woman said smiling. Sam blushed and took his eyes away from her rack. "Not to worry, your brother had the same reaction."

The woman walked away, and Sam couldn't help but watch her hips sway.

"Who are you?" Dean barked. He had obviously gotten used to her looks, which was uncharacteristic of the elder brother.

The woman spun around, and when she did, her features changed for a split second. Her hair was a bright fiery red, her eyes bright blue like a sea. But as soon as it was there it was gone.

"The name's Circes." The woman smiled cruelly. "Perhaps you've heard of me."

Dean had heard that name before, but Sam had his mouth hanging open in shock.

"Darling, would you like to fill your brother in on the details?" Circes said to Sam.

"She's a Greek Goddess." Sam said, never taking his eyes off Circes. "She's the one that helped Jason and the Argonauts, Odysseus, Perceus. But…she's most famous for making men fall in love with her using witchcraft. And if they don't, she turns them into her animal servants."

Dean knew the story. A witch that lived on a remote island off the coast of Croatia. Recognizable for her red hair, and was a daughter of Poseidon. Some of her close relatives were the sirens. Dean plastered a fake smile on his face.

"I wish I could say it's an honor, but…"

"But the real honor is me meeting you." Circes fell into a chair. "Sam and Dean Winchester. I've been dreaming about what I would do to you if I ever got my hands on you." Circes licked her lips. "I never thought that I actually would."

"Sorry about that. We've been kind of busy hunting your kind down." Circes' smile disappeared.

"So what are you going to do now? Try to serenade us with your terrible singing?" Sam seemed to be coming out of his trance. Circes sneered at him.

"No! I've moved on from that!" She tossed her hair and smiled. "I've taken up a profession similar to that of my siren cousins."

Circes stood up and spread her arms. "Circes Tournament! Where the fights that people are dying to see won are fought. And the outcome is sure to please." Circes lowered her arms. "Of course you know that these are all animals fight. The whole gladiator aspect is totally Before-Common-Era."

"If that's true, then why are we here?" Dean asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I have to get my animals from somewhere." Circes narrowed her eyes.

Sam and Dean looked at each other, they could both see sparks of fear in the others eyes.

"No way." Dean growled, almost yelled. "Over our dead bodies."

"Over your bodies in some way. Dead or alive, it doesn't matter. Just so long as you put on a good show."

"You can't make us fight." Sam scowled.

"If I can make your opponent fight, then you'll have to as well."

"And what makes you think we're just going to let you do this?" Dean glared at her.

"What makes you think that you have a choice in the matter?" Circes smiled. "Face it boys. I've got you by the short and curlies. But hey, there is an upside. If you win ten rounds, and kill all the opponents you're faced against, then I will restore your humanity and let you go."

"Why would you do that? We'll just come back and hunt you down." Sam asked.

"I'd like to see you try to find me."

Sam and Dean looked at each other. Their chances of getting out of this were looking very slim.

Circes walked over to a desk on the other side of the room and picked up a piece of paper. She smiled.

"If you two get started right away, then that will put your last fight on the day of the Chinese New Year. How convenient…"

"Why, what does the Chinese New year have to do with anything?"

"Nothing, just a special event that I'm going to be hosting." Circes looked up at them. "I've learned that to appeal to a larger audience you have to be diverse."

Circes walked back to the center of the room. She smiled widely as she looked between the two brothers. "Oh, I'm so excited! Aren't you?"

She was met with glares and silence.

"Well, might as well get going." As if on queue, five or six muscular men came in through the doors. "Lot's of stuff to do."

Sam jumped up and backed away from the advancing henchmen. But he ended up back-pedaling into another man who had come in from another door. He gripped Sam's arms and lifted him off the ground. A few of the other men untied Dean from the chair and hauled him out the door with Sam following close behind. Sam and Dean threw their bodies around, trying to get loose. But the men held them tight, and they went down a dark stone hallway. There were flame torches lighting the way, Sam and Dean were lead through a massive wooden door.

The cavern-like room was so massive, Sam could barely see the ceiling. There was a large, flat stone altar in the center of a stone ring. There seemed to be some kind of carving in the floor heading out in five directions away from the altar, but Sam didn't recognize them.

Sam huffed for breath as the men holding him forced him over a counter. They ripped his shirt off of him and poured a thick liquid over his back and head. It smelled like olives, and didn't sting when it dripped into Sam's eyes. He turned his head to see that they were doing the same to his brother. Dean spat a mouthful of the greenish-oil out of his mouth. He growled and tried to kick away the body guards. But they all held steady.

"Bring me the young one first." Circes was standing behind the altar, she was rubbing a black paint on her face in swirls, running it through her hair. The henchmen holding Sam lurched him off the counter and dragged him over to the altar. Struggling was starting to take its toll on his stamina, and Sam could barely thrash when the guards tethered his wrists above his head and his ankles to the altar.

Dean was also starting to fade from trying to get free. Now, as his guards held him in place, he could do nothing but try to catch his breath as he watched that bitch Circes stand over his brother. The markings she had painted on her face made her look older, more frightening. She poured more of the oil over Sam's chest.

Then she paused, examining the man sprawled out in front of her.

"I like you Sam." She purred. "There's something about you that I find different, interesting. I think I'm going to put you in my platinum class. And it will also separate you and your brother."

Dean didn't know what that meant. He tried to jerk his shoulder out of the guards grasp, but to no avail.

Circes blinked and suddenly her eyes were filled with light. She tilted her head back and raised her arms, palm facing up. The carvings on the floor began to illuminate, and showed that the trails actually ran along the walls and ceiling. A low hum filled the air, and Dean wanted to cover his ears. All he could to was shut his eyes tight as the light reached up to blinding. There was a loud crack, and Dean opened his eyes to see the symbols still glowing, but most of the light was coming from a white ball of energy that was spinning in front of Circes.

Circes grasped the ball with one hand and squeezed tight. Light from the ball illuminated her bone structure. When Circes opened her hand again, her fingernails had elongated into claws, which were glowing from the same light as the ball of energy had before. She looked down at Sam, whose eyes were filled with horror. Circes brought her hand down, plunging her claws deep into Sam's chest.

Sam screamed and arched his back. The oil all over his body seeped into his skin at such a fast rate it was as if Sam had become a sponge. There was a light blast at the point where Circes claws were in Sam and after that he was lying still, unconscious. Dean wasn't even sure if he was breathing.

One of the guards untied Sam's body and threw him over their shoulder like a sack of flour.

"Take him to the new room." Circes said. She looked a little worn, but the fire in her eyes never ceased.

Dean could feel the grip of the guards tighten on his shoulders.

"Alright, tiger." Circes smiled at him. "It's your turn."

Dean lashed out at the guards with a new ferocity, even growling and yelling a little. But it didn't stop them from lashing him to the altar in front of Circes. The same process was gone through, only this time, Dean felt a strange sensation as if there was a string running through his heart. When Dean opened his eyes, there was a red ball of energy floating above him. If Dean looked close enough, he could have sworn that he saw fangs and slit-pupil eyes. Circes looked at the ball with curiosity. Dean could have sworn that she heard her mumble under her breath, "well that's new."

Circes grabbed the energy, and she almost had a pained expression on her face as the energy merged with her skin. But the expression passed and Circes was standing over Dean with red glowing claws. She looked down at him.

"I wish you luck in the arena." Circes said, almost jokingly. "I'll see you from the stands."

When she plunged her hand into Dean, the pain was unlike anything Dean had ever experienced. Behind his own screams he could hear the roar of a large cat. Then the world went dark.

* * *

A/N: So here's the third chapter. Things are getting juicy. Hope you guys are enjoying it so far!

please! Read, review, and enjoy!


	4. There's something you don't see! Sam

Sam wakes up and meets a strange new person. But he also discovers something else.

_

* * *

Wow, this is so…_ Sam snuggled deeper into the softness. _Comfortable._ Who knew motel beds could be this soft. Or smell this nice. Or feel this clean. Or…

Wait a minute.

Sam jerked awake. The fluffy comforter was tossed to the floor and he leapt out of the bed that seemed to be made out of clouds and duckling down. He spun around and examined the room. The walls were white with gold trimming. A door to his left lead to a luxury bathroom, and there was a small living room in front of him. He remembered that Circes had captured him and his brother. He remembered what her plan was. Sam gulped, and hesitantly looked down at himself.

Besides wearing nothing but a pair of brown shorts, his body was still human. But there was something on the top of his chest that he couldn't see. He spied a large dresser with a mirror next to the bed and went over to it. Looking the mirror, Sam saw an emblem on the skin of his chest. It was pale, like a healed scar. A pentagram, with another smaller symbol inside of it. Sam examined it closely. He could have sworn it looked like…

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Sam jerked away from the mirror. He was puzzled. Who on earth would knocking at his door in a place like this? Sam walked over to the door and opened it a crack and looked out into the dark hallway.

"Who are you?" Sam asked loudly.

"Heeey. It's me, your next door neighbor!" The voice reminded Sam of freshman year in high school. "Can I come in?"

Sam didn't know what to think of this. Sam opened the door the whole way, and standing at the threshold was actually a man that was about the same age as Sam. He seemed scrawny, but like Sam, he only wore a pair of shorts. The definition of his muscles betrayed his weak build, but his boyish face was enough to fool anybody that he couldn't take care of himself in a fight. He had long dark hair and brown eyes. He had a bruise on his temple and a bump on his forehead

Sam stepped aside, and the man walked into the room. It was then that Sam noticed that he was very pale, and his hair seemed course and thick. There seemed to be something off about face. His mouth and nose stuck out ever so slightly more than they should have. He seemed to be walking funny as well.

"Wow, they gave you the luxury suite." The man said.

"I'm sorry, but, who are you?" Sam asked.

The man laughed and smacked his face with his hand. "Of course, how silly am I? My name is Kale."

"Kale?" To Sam, the name seemed unfitting for some reason. "Um, hi. My name's Sam."

"Oh that's a nice name. Simple, yet strong." Kale looked Sam up and down. "It suites you."

Sam felt awkward. But then he saw something that he almost didn't catch because of Kale's complexion. On his chest was a symbol much like Sam's, but the small one in the center was different.

"Wait, do you mean that _you_ are Sam Winchester?" Kale said holding his hands in front of him. "I heard the guards talking about you when they brought you in. You're the new favorite is what I hear."

Sam lifted an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Circes, she always plays favorites. I used to be her favorite aniwar, but now it appears like I've been replaced." Kale poked Sam. "Congrats."

"Ani-what?"

"Aniwar. It's what we call ourselves." Kale sat down on one of the couches. "It caught on with Circes and now it's a big hit.

Sam sat down on the opposite couch. Kale was eyeing him with curiosity.

"So, do you know what you are yet?" He asked all of a sudden.

"No, I don't." Sam said. "The last thing I remember was Circes using that white ball of energy to knock me out."

"Well, that's not new." Kale said. "It's always a white ball of light for everybody."

Sam sat back. He thought about the situation. The first thing he needed to do was find Dean.

"Hey, Kale." Kale perked up. "Did you see them bring another guy in? He would have had short hair and is about as tall you."

Kale shook his head. "I doubt they brought him here. This wing is only for the aniwars that participate in the platinum tournament. Basically, the animals that are out of the ordinary. She doesn't make many of them."

"Then where would she have taken him?"

"Well, put him with the rest of the regulars, I guess." Kale shrugged. "I don't know what happens to the people that aren't as lucky as us."

"Lucky?" Sam sneered. "I wouldn't call this lucky."

"Hey, it's definitely better than what they have to deal with." Kale pointed behind Sam. "You'll see what I mean when you see your first match."

Sam turned around and saw a large flat-screen TV mounted on a wall.

"I've already had my first match." Kale said with a hint of pride.

"I'm guessing that's how you got that?" Sam said, indicating the bruise. Kale gingerly touched it.

"Oh, don't worry about this." He said. "You should see the other guy."

"Why? What happened to him?"

"He's dead."

Sam shook his head. He should have known. Of course a deranged Greek goddess would make her victims fight to the death.

"What about that?" Sam asked, pointing to the bump.

"I've had that ever since I woke up." Kale rubbed the bump gently. "It was the first thing to change, I guess."

"How long have you been here?" Sam asked.

"Only a few days. The guy down the hall was the one that explained everything to me." Kale sat forward and sighed. "Yeah, they go me on the way coming back home from my boyfriends house. It was a pretty rough deal."

Sam sighed and stood up. "I can't stay here. I need to find my brother and get out of here."

"You mean the other guy?" Kale asked. "Good luck. Most of us don't even know how we got here. Some of us have tried to escape. No such luck."

"How many people are here?"

"I'd say it's somewhere in the high fifties."

Sam took in the information and scratched absently at his shoulder. The itch was persistent, and Sam's skin felt strangely loose under his fingernails. He pulled his hand back to see large amounts of skin flakes caught under his nails.

"Aha." Kale said smiling. "I see you've started your change as well."

Sam walked back over to the mirror keeping his hand on his shoulder. Kale followed him and peered in the mirror alongside Sam.

Sam lowered his hand and stared at the spot on his shoulder. Some of the skin had broken apart from his scratching, revealing what looked like scales underneath. They were dull and looked like green river rocks. But the more Sam stared at them, the more they were exposed to the light, the more brilliant and lustrous they became. They had a gold lining at the edge of each scale, and when Sam felt them, they were as hard as diamonds.

"Oooh, pretty." Kale reached up and to tried to touch them, but Sam jerked way involuntarily.

Actually seeing the scales had set something off in Sam. It only confirmed that he was in this for good, that there was no turning back. It told him that the only to return to normal was to fight and kill. Sam shut his eyes.

"Kale, can I have a minute?" Sam said without looking at him.

"Sure thing. Just let me know if you need anything." Kale snuck out the door, and Sam could have sworn he heard the clip-clop of hooves as he walked away. But that was just a minor detail in the back of Sam's mind. Right now, he had one concern.

Was Dean changing, too?

* * *

A/N: FOUR chapters in ONE night! I literally just finished typing this one. Here's what's going to happen. Since Sam and Dan are split up. They will each get their own whole chapters, like this one. Their names will be in the title, so if you want to just follow one or the other, you can!

Please! Read, review, and enjoy!


	5. Well THIS is fantastic! Dean

Dean wakes up in a very different environment than Sam, and meets some rather peculiar people...

* * *

Everything hurt. His back, his chest, his arms and neck. God, even his toes hurt. And sleeping on this hard, lumpy thing wasn't helping in the slightest. Dean braced his arms underneath him and groaned as he pushed himself up. He heard the squeak of springs and felt the mattress beneath him squish around his fingers. He sat up and threw his legs over the edge. Rubbing the back of his neck, Dean kept his eyes closed. Even when he opened them, everything was blurry. He looked around amd saw dark brown surroundings, like he was under ground in some sort of chamber. There was a wall that lead out into darkness, but Dean was sure that it was barred. He looked at the ground and tried to blink the grime out of his eyes.

"Hi."

Dean looked up and noticed that there was another bed on the opposite side of the wall. On it sat a young woman. She was looking at him curiously. She had chest length brown hair that had a reddish hue to it. Her skin was a little dirty, and she was only wearing a thin shirt and shorts. And, it might have just been the light, but her arms, legs, and face, seemed to be a little…fuzzy. But nonetheless, she was beautiful.

"Hey, you've got it, too, fluffles." The girls said nodding at Dean.

Dean cocked an eyebrow and looked down at himself, and noticed that, one, he wasn't wearing a shirt. Two, his chest was thinly covered with a fine, cream colored fur. The hairs on his legs and arms were also getting long, but had taken on a dark red color. Dean swore to himself. When he reached up to touch his face, he felt small sprouts of hair on his cheeks, chin, nose and forehead. It couldn't have made that much progress already! He looked back up at the girl.

"How long was I out?" Dean asked, cracking his back.

"I was barley awake when they brought you in." She said crossing her legs. "And it had been a few hours since. Did you know that you snore?"

Dean swore again. He stood up and almost immediately had to grab the pair of loose brown shorts from falling to his ankles. He walked over to the bars and looked outside. There was a long hallway stretching to either side of him, torches lighting up the way. Cages adorned but sides of it, and Dean could see that some of them were empty. Except for the one right across from them. It had a sleeping form in it, only one. It had a fuzzy blanket wrapped over itself, and was huddled in the shadows.

"So, fluffles, do you know what's going on?" The girl was standing behind him now.

"Stop calling me that. My name's Dean." He growled.

"Awesome, my name's Rylie." The girl said sarcastically. "Still doesn't answer the question, fluffles."

Dean spun on her, angry at her disrespect. But stopped when he saw that she was standing right in his face. She was taller than she looked, and now that she was closer, Dean could see the hairs on her face. They were light silver, and some dark lines were starting to cross her face. Dean instantly knew that they were becoming that same beast, whatever it was. But what held his gaze were her bright blue eyes. They stared defiantly into him, demanding answers.

"We've been captured by the goddess Circes." Dean stated. "From the looks of it, she put some magic on us, and now we're slowly going to turn into animals."

This made Rylie's defiant stance falter. "Turn…into…why?"

"To compete in her tournament." Said a voice behind Dean. They both turned to look into the next cage, where the figure lying on the bed sat up. Rylie gasped and Dean stared.

It hadn't been wearing a blanket. His skin was covered in a thick brown fur that tipped into blonde at the end. He sat up and turned around. His face looked like that of a bear, but his ears were too pointed and his muzzled to small. A furry medium length tail swished behind him.

"That's right, take a long look." He said gesturing at himself. "You'll both look like me if you survive as long as I have."

"What are you?" Rylie asked. Dean was wondering the same thing.

"What animal? I'm thinking something like a wolverine. But many people down here who have come and gone have come to call me Serge."

"So, Serge, do you know what happens in this tournament?" Dean crossed his fuzzy arms.

"Isn't it obvious?" He stood up and held out a padded, clawed hand. "We fight to the death."

Dean heard Rylie gasp behind him.

"That means the only way to get out alive is to kill everyone you fight." Dean said, but his gaze was far away.

Serge laughed, and Dean started at the sound.

"Circes isn't that dumb, kid." He snarked. "There is no getting out alive. You're stuck here until you either die, go insane, or become un entertaining."

"But she told me-"

"She told a lot of people a lot of things. I highly doubt you're any different." Serge scoffed. "Trust me kid, there's no way out. Escape is impossible, and sooner or later, you'll loose your mind to the animal birthing inside you."

"How long have you been here, Serge?" Rylie piped up.

"I think I lost track after five years…" Serge's eyes went cloudy. Then he turned back to his bed and lay down. "Get used to it kids, it's going to be hell."

Dean laughed softly at that. Hell was going to be hard to beat, but you never know.

Rylie went back over to her bed and sat down, her eyes cast to the floor. Dean looked at her.

"What were you doing before you were captured." Dean asked. Rylie looked up at him with her sad blue eyes,

"I was a student at the university, majoring in Nursing." She sighed. "I was out with some of my girl friends and took the short cut back to the campus. Through the alley…"

Dean nodded in understanding, but his mind was still going over the fact that Circes had lied about letting him and Sam go. Then again, this wasn't the first time this had happened. Dean clenched his fists, feeling the prick of growing claws on his palm. Dean looked down at his hands. The transformation was working fast. Already, he had the same black marks on his skin that Rylie had. Fury rose in Dean. Circes was not just going to keep him locked up like and animal. A growl slipped out his throat as he thought of all the things he was going to do to her once he got out.

And he would get.

Dean promised himself that.

"So, Hobbes?" Rylie spoke softly. She leaned closer to him. "How are we getting out of here?"

Dean was surprised. He was pretty sure that the girl had slipped into the sulky isolation he had seen with people who had lost all hope. But seeing her fiery eyes and determined face sparked something in Dean, and opened a warm spot in his heart towards her.

"I'm working on it." Dean said smiling. Rylie smiled back, showing a pair of fangs.

"Just tell me what you want me to do, Dean." That was the first time she ever called him by his name.

* * *

A/N: SO this chapter is in need of MAJOR editing. I just got lazy and wanted to get the whole "what happened to Dean" part over with. Give me suggestions on what I can do to make it better. Sorry for the sucky chapter, I really am. :( There will be good stuff to follow! We'll start getting into the tournament.

In the meantime, read, review, and enjoy!


	6. Fire with Fire! Sam

Sam enters his first fight...

* * *

Sam scratched absent mindedly at his scalp. His hair was growing faster than it usually did, so were his nails and canine teeth. He had already lost other patches of skin over his body, revealing more scales underneath. There was a small throbbing at the base of his spine that he barely noticed.

It had been three days, and Sam was restless. Kale had taken him out of his room to show him around the platinum living area. There was a rec area, a work out room, some other rooms that offered relaxation methods such as massages and hot tubs. There was a gourmet buffet where the food replenished itself. Something that looked like a swimming pool filled with boiling dirt was in a large dark room.

"Wait, you've never had a mud bath before?" Kale asked incredulous.

"Never had the opportunity." Sam eyes the hot earth. "Not really sure I want to."

"It's not as bad as it seems." Kale said. "I tried it, it's very relaxing."

"Kind of an oxymoron, don't you think?" Sam asked, licking his tongue over his odd teeth. "I mean, you take baths to get clean."

"You take this bath to be purged, hun." Kale grinned. Sam was wondering whether or not his strange friend was going to push him in.

Sam checked the TV everyday to see if Dean had started fighting yet. So far, it seemed he was as incognito as Sam was. While it was nice to know that Dean wasn't in danger, it still didn't tell him anything about where he was, or what state he was in.

"You're thinking about your brother again, aren't you?" Kale said, interrupting Sam's thoughts.

"I need to find him." Sam said, staring into the mud.

"I wish I could help Sam, I really do." Kale faced him, catching his eyes. "But others have tried escape, and were caught. No one's ever seen them again."

"I've still got to try." Sam turned away, scratching at his shoulder. The scales were warm under his hand. "The sooner we all get out of here, the sooner we can get back to normal."

"Sam…"

"I'll figure something out. I promise, I'll get everyone out of here." Sam looked Kale in the eye. The young man seemed a little surprised at the vow, and didn't say anything or follow when Sam walked back to his room.

When Sam entered his room, he turned the TV on to see if there were any matches that had his brother-or something that looked like him. There was a match between something that looked like some sort of bird had just defeated another creature. It had been mauled and pecked beyond recognition. Blood glistened on the feathers of the winner. She was a very thin girl, and didn't seem to be much over the age of 19. Sam had to grimace at her horror struck face. He flicked the TV off and stared at the blank screen. A grim thought entered his mind.

When were they going to make him fight?

Sam heard the door open behind him. Thinking it must have been Kale, Sam turned to tell him that he didn't want to get a pedicure for his claws. But he froze when he saw four black-dressed minions crowding into his room instead.

Sam swallowed. Well, that answered that question.

"You will come quietly." Said one of the henchmen. "Or be dragged quietly."

Sam took a step back as the men surrounded him. Two men came on either side of him and grabbed his forearms and shoulders. The other two stood in front and back of him, they began leading Sam out of the room. When walking down the hallway, Sam saw Kale coming out of the mud room covered in mud up to his chest. Kale looked up and saw the people dragging Sam away. They made eye contact for a second. Then Kale ran off to his room, his strange feet clopping on the tiled floors. The men lead Sam towards a wall that had no doors on it. Sam was wondering if they knew they were going to crash. He watched in surprise as the man in front of him passed through the wall. Sam closed his eyes as he went through, a small gust of wind washing over him.

They were now in a dark hallway. Torches lit the walls, and Sam could hear the distant roar of a crowd. They came into a large cavern with one caged door leading out to where the huge noise was coming from. Sam was shoved into the center of the room towards the door, and he looked back to see a couple of the men disappear back through the wall where they must have come. The two others were standing like bouncers against that wall.

Sam rubbed his arm and turned to the door. Anxiety made his exposed scales tingle. The roar of the crowd got louder, and epic music started to play. A voice rang out, and Sam immediately recognized that high-pitch bell as Circes. He couldn't help but growl a little at the thought of her.

"People!" Circes rang out cheerfully, her voice amplified. "I'm glad you are all here to see the start of what is likely to be the beginning of a long journey for tonight's victor. Plucked freshly from the streets, they begin their first battles. For one, it will also be their last battle."

Sam felt a shiver go up his spine.

"We even have a special guest, whose name is known far and wide throughout." Circes' voice took on a cruel hint. "Love him or hate him, ladies and gentlemen, Sam Winchester!"

The door in front of Sam opened with the clank of chains. He squinted his eyes and lifted a hand to block the bright light. The roar got louder and Sam even heard some boo's at his name. Before Sam had time to adjust or react, one of the guards pushed Sam out into the open arena. Sam stumbled a little and was blinded by the spotlight that shined down from high above. His eyes adjusted, and Sam looked out into the stadium.

There were three or four balconies leveled on top of each other, each held about twenty rows of metal seats. Thousands of people circled around Sam, talking, cheering, booing and screaming. The closest ones Sam could see were dressed either casually or semi-casually. Middle and upperclassmen citizens that had finally found something interesting to do on their Saturday nights. Or whatever night it was.

"And his opponent, a girl who has achieved much in her past life as a human and knows how to fight." Circes voice rang out. "We didn't choose and easy opponent. Let's give a warm welcome to Liz Kovanich!"

A door opposite the arena to Sam opened and a girl was pushed out. The spotlight switched from Sam to her, and Sam saw by the expression on her face that she was freaking out. She had blonde hair and light brown eyes. She was wearing only a t-shirt and shorts, and Sam could see her arms and legs covered in small patched of red feathers. The feathers glowed with an ember-like light.

Liz looked around for a few seconds like Sam had, then her eyes landed on him. He wondered what she thought about him, with his saggy skin and scales.

The doors behind them both slammed shut, and Circes, who Sam located in a box sticking out from the rest of the crowd, stood up and spread her arms.

"Let's begin!"

Two small balls of light leapt from her hands and bee lined for Sam and Liz. One ball of light hit Sam in the chest, right where the symbol on his chest was. Another hit Liz, and she gasped with the impact. Sam felt nothing at first, but then he felt himself getting heavier. His blood felt like it had been replaced with lead, and Sam found he couldn't move his arms very well. Silver liquid played at the edges of his vision, but Sam couldn't lift a hand to wipe it away. Looking at Liz, he figure she was going through the same thing. Her eyes turned to solid silver, and her poster straightened out.

Sam felt his muscled tensing without his demand, and before he knew it, he and Liz were running towards each other. Liz jumped up in the air and landed a foot on Sam's chest. But Sam braced himself, grabbed her foot, and swung her around, throwing her towards a wall. Liz did a flip in the air and bounced off the wall, landing solidly on her feet. She charged Sam again, and this time Sam's arm came up towards her jaw. Liz must have known some sort of hand to hand combat, because she blocked all his attacks, and threw her own at every opening.

The movements weren't completely involuntary. It seemed like whatever was making Sam throw the punches was letting him be in charge of defense. He could see the struggle in Liz's eyes, too.

Whenever Sam touched Liz's feathers, he felt small pinpricks of pain like we was touching fire. Sparks flew off of them every time their blows collided. Sam could also hear the clang of metal, and felt the scales that were under his skin bunch uncomfortably. Something hot was growing in Sam's chest. Sam coughed, and he could have sworn he saw licks of flames at his lips. Before Sam could do anything about it, Liz jumped away and raised her arms, feathers displayed.

There was a red fire behind her sliver haze, her face distorted in pain, and her mouth slowly dropped open. Sam saw an orange light rising at the back of her throat. Sam bunched his muscles to run away, but he wasn't fast enough.

As the flame fell over Liz's teeth in a wide span, Sam threw his arms in front of his face, thinking that this was going to be the end.

The stadium was light up with the fire, and all the members of the audience gasped as Sam was engulfed in flame. Tears came from Liz's eyes, as her feathers grew longer, and her mouth and nose began to sharpen into a beak. Her bare toes melded together into talons. She could hear the sizzle of his flesh, and just longed for this burning to stop. She just wanted everything to stop.

The flame finally died away and Liz fell to her knees retching up small bits of kerosene. She could see his smoldering form on the ground in the corners of her vision. He was dead, he had to be. No one could have survived something like that. She had won, and that only meant that she was going to be moving on to face another once-human that would be trying to kill her. Hot tears began streaming down her face.

Liz heard the audience gasp, and they began cheering. She looked up, and stared in wonder.

The bare black form of the man was standing up. As she watched the black faded away, leaving behind a body covered in brilliant green and gold scales. His hair revived from black wisps, and his claws maintained the glow from the fire. His philtrum was less prominent, beginning to flatten out his nose and mouth. Smoke curled out of his wide nostrils. Liz thought she was looking at the devil himself.

Sam looked down at the girl who had almost killed him. As the searing on his kin disappeared, the burning inferno in his chest grew hotter. He understood now. Looking up at the box where Circes sat, he couldn't help but feel a rage sink down on him. She smiled cruelly back at him, trying to coax him into finishing the match. Sam looked back at Liz, and was almost surprised to see her looking up at him, a small smile on her lips. Her head bowed and her eyes closed, giving in, almost pleading for Sam to release her from this nightmare.

Sam drew back his lips, feeling them slide over small pointed teeth. His mouth began to heat up, small waves of hot air curling up in front of his eyes. He took one last look at the strange, fire-breathing bird girl on the ground in front of him. He was saving her. That's what this was. Sam felt a little relief knowing that even in here, in the worst of circumstances, he could still help people. He drew in one final breath and let the torrent of flame escape his lungs. He was glad that Liz didn't even scream.

The crowd was going wild. Sam huffed as whatever was a hold of him finally let go, and he stumbled and fell on his butt. He closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to look at the pile of burning flesh and feathers in front of him. Strong hands grabbed him by the shoulders and hoisted him to his feet. They dragged him away from the crowd away from the burning smell that was filling his nose. Sam kept his eyes firmly closed until he was shoved through a door. He stood there, bare and shaking for a minute. Not sure of what he would see if he opened his eyes.

Sam finally did, and saw that he was back in his room. Everything was quiet, the roar of the crowd was gone, the room was undisturbed. It was like it never happened.

But it DID happen.

Sam looked down at his gleaming scales, and licked his burnt lips. There was no more skin left on Sam, not even on his scalp. He went over to the dresser to get another pair of pants. His hands were shaking, and as he pulled them on, he felt his claws tear through the fabric. He looked down at his hands for a while, debating whether or not they were his. He finished pulling his pants on, noting that they were a little tighter around the waist.

Sam heard a knock at the door. He called for whoever it was to come in, his voice was hoarse and dry. The door creaked open, Sam didn't turn to see who it was.

"Are you okay?" Kale's voice said. "Sam?"

Sam turned to face Kale, a tightness forming in his chest. Kale saw the look on his face and his mouth dropped open. He rushed over to Sam. Sam didn't realize he was falling until Kale's strong hands secured around his arms.

"It'll be okay, Sam." Kale whispered in his ears. "It'll be okay."

Kale half dragged, half carried Sam over to the bed.

"Don't worry Sam, I've got you." Kale said. But there was another voice speaking behind it. "Stay with me Sam."

"Won't let anything happen to you." Dean's voice said from Kale's mouth. Sam stared up at Kale as he was plopped down on the bed. Kale put a pale hand on his forehead, a look of brotherly concern in his eyes.

"It's ok, Sammy." Kale/Dean said. Sam closed his eyes slowly. Right before he concealed himself in darkness, Kale face changed to Dean's.

"Sammy…"

* * *

A/N: This chapters not that bad, I guess. At least now were getting somewhere. Don't worry, those two characters mentioned at the prologue will be introduced. One of them is kind of important.

I just got back from a dance, so i just read it over really fast then posted it. Sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors. PLEASE read, review, and enjoy!


	7. Unleashed! Dean

Dean and Rylie are interrupted to finally compete.

* * *

"My head hurts…" Rylie said, rubbing her temple.

She was lying on her back on her bed, her entire body was now covered in short light silver fur with intricate black stripes. Dean looked almost the same, with dark reddish-orange fur.

He looked up at her. Even her dark hair had taken on a few silver streaks.

"Sorry, sweetheart, not much I can do about it." Dean said. He shifted his position so that he was lying on his side. Sitting up right hurt the base of his spine, like something was being crushed.

"When are we going to execute this escape plan of yours?" Rylie groaned.

"As soon as I figure out what it is." Dean had nothing. Absolutely nothing. He would run a few ideas by Serge in the next cage, but it seemed like just about everything had been tried. And never succeeded. Dean was beginning to think that if he were to ever get out and find Sam, it was going to take a miracle.

"Well could you do me a favor and hurry up?" Rylie snarled, annoyed. "Preferably before my head explodes."

"If you've got something that might work, please…" Dean said, growling under his voice just to mock her. Rylie looked over at him, her expression softened.

"I'm sorry, it's just that I haven't had a headache like this since my first finals in college." Rylie threw her legs over the bed. "Why don't you think they've made us fight yet? We've been in here for god knows how long."

"I don't know, maybe we haven't developed enough." Dean said scratching his hairy arms. This worried Dean too, actually. Had Sam fought yet? Did he win? The only thing Dean would really kill for was a sandwich.

Footsteps echoed down the hall, and Dean perked his fuzzy ears at the sound. Four black dressed thugs stopped at the entrance to their cage. Dean felt anxiety in his chest grow, as he and Rylie both stood up. They unlocked the cage, and two of them walked in.

"Why do I feel like they're not going to let us go?" Rylie whispered, Dean could tell she was terrified. The two thugs cornered them, and Dean found himself growling protectively in front of Rylie. They were faster and stronger than they looked. Two of the brutes grabbed Dean and shoved him down one hallway, the other dragged Rylie the other way.

"Dean!" She called out. "Dean, help!"

Dean couldn't shout back. Were they going to make Dean and Rylie fight? Dean had grown fond of the girl, enjoyed her company almost, when her head wasn't hurting. The thought of being forced to fight and kill her…

The men dragged Dean through doors and more hallways and finally into a single small room. This had another door on the other wall. It was complete iron, and Dean could see white scratch marks criss-crossing it every which way.

Dean faced the door, and he was half sure that there was an enormous crowd on the other side. He could feel the rumbling in his feet, barely hear the roar of so many voices on the other side. Sure enough, the door opened. Light flooded in, and Dean tentatively walked towards it. Stepping outside, he looked around. Disappointed.

It wasn't so much a stadium as it was a pitted cavern. The room was obviously underground. There were only ten or fifteen rows of seats circling the arena. But there were more than three people for every seat. They were dressed dirty and casually, drinking beer and watching Dean with hungry interest. There was a screen hanging in the middle of the room, displaying Dean's face, his name flashing underneath. He saw some people scowl, and other people's eyes widened in amazement.

The actual arena was maybe just thirty feet across. It was covered in wet sand, small little mounds scattered everywhere. Right across from Dean was another door that was slowly opening. Dean feared he would see Rylie walk out into the light.

But his fears vanished when a rather hairy man walked out instead. He was muscular, about the same age as Dean. He had long dark hair on top of his head and the rest of his body was covered in light and dark grey fur. His eyes were yellow, like a wolf's. Dean looked up at the screen, and frowned, because the guys name was written in a language Dean couldn't read.

A siren sounded, and the people sitting in the stands started shouting at Dean and the other man. Dean looked around at all the people in the stands, disgusted. Some of the people in the stands had been people back in the college town. So they were in on it! Had they set up Dean and Sam so that they would be captured? Dean growled loudly, and the people closest to him backed away from the railing. Dean looked around into the stands, scanning the crowd for the purple hair. But Circes wasn't anywhere in the room. Dean saw someone in his peripherals staring at him, and he locked eyes with the man. He was elderly and Hispanic, with a blonde haired green-eyed girl standing next to him. The girl straightened up to whisper something in his ear. The man nodded and waved at Dean. Dean chuffed and looked away.

A low hum filled the room. The sound vibrated Dean's eardrums and shook his bones. He covered his ears but it seemed to have no effect. There was a red flash behind Dean's eyes and a sudden pain, red spots floated across his vision. The hum died down, till it was no more than a white noise in the back of his mind. Dean blinked. Alrighty then...

Dean looked across at the other man. His eyes were glassy and unfocused. His mouth hung open and what used to be human intelligence had been replaced with animal instinct. The wolfman snarled at Dean ferociously and rushed him. It didn't take him long to cross the width of the arena with his long legs. Dean dodged and ran along the wall, the wolfman following in close pursuit on all fours. The wolfman lunged and caught Dean's feet. They both went tumbling, sending sand flying everywhere. The wolfman was right on top of Dean, snarling and growling, trying to get at his throat. Dean struggled to keep him away, grabbing and punching at the things face. Dean managed to get a leg under himself and kick the wolfman away. He scrambled up, feeling a strange tingling in his fingers. The wolfman recovered as well, and roared at Dean. Dean couldn't help the hiss that escaped his mouth. His anger flared, Dean decided he was going to play offense.

The tiger and wolf ran towards each other, swinging their arms. The crowd went nuts as they clashed. Dean spun as the wolf ran past and racked his hand down his back. There was a drag that made Dean look curiously at his hands. Large black claws flexed on the tips of his fingers. They retracted back into his fingers without Dean's control. Dean looked up to see the wolf swiping his sharp fingers at Dean's face. Dean closed his eyes as the claws raked deep into his forehead. The crowd booed, clearly not getting what they wanted; constant action.

The wolfman rounded for another swipe, but before he could land it, Dean shot his fist up in an arch right into the underside of his jaw. The wolf staggered back and whimpered. He shook his head and turned to glare at Dean. The wolfman took one quick look around the arena and ran over to one of the mounds. Dean watched as the creature started digging and moving the sand. A cruel glint appeared in his eye as he gripped something. Standing up, Dean gulped at the sight of the serrated knife in the wolfman's hand. He advanced, the knife held like he knew how to use it. When Dean felt the wall at his back, the wolfman pounced.

Dean ducked and shot to the left, but not before the knife slice across his back. Dean felt the teeth of the knife separating the muscle from each other. Dean growled and scurried across the arena. The wolfman was right behind him. An idea popped into Dean's mind, and he dug his hands in the sand. Frantically digging, Dean finally felt his hands hit something hard. He gripped the object and pulled it out of the sand. Dean moaned in frustration. It was just a normal wooden club. It wasn't much against a club, but it was better than nothing. Dean jumped to his feet and spun around, bringing the club up just in time to black the downward stab of the wolf's knife. Dean threw off the wolf, and swung the club, hitting the wolf in the wolf growled and snapped his jaws at Dean, making him jump back. Dean swung again and hit the wolf on the side of the face. The wolf growled, a wild look growing like a fire in his eye. Dean raised the club to strike again, the wolf snapped his head around, catching the club in his jaws.

Dean jerked back, the angry gaze of the wolfman boring into him. The creatures jaw tightened on the club and Dean heard the the wood start to splinter. The wolf growled soflty, then louder and louder, until finally it was a roar that shook dean's bones. The club snapped in two and The knife came up and threw Deans shoulder, pushing him away, a stream of blood flying through the air.

Before the pain could reach his brain, Dean pulled the knife ouot of his shoulder and threw it into the crowd. Dean put a hand to the wound, crimson soaking his red fur. When he screamed there was a roar behind it, making the agony even more clear in his voice. The wolf stood back, waiting for Dean to make a move this time. Dean could feel the wild part of his mind at the edge of control. What if that was what was happening to his opponent? Had that sound brought out the animal in him? Dean took a deep breath, which dulled the pain and seemed to drive the instinct back.

"Listen, you've got to get control." Dean looked the wolf straight in the eye. He hoped that he was getting through to the man. But Dean wasn't sure the guy even spoke English. "You don't want to do this. Fight the monster, and then help me fight Circes."

The wolf's haggard breathing slowed, his glassy eyes cleared, and some conscious thought returned.

"That's right, you control it, not the other way around." Dean coaxed. The wolf tried to speak.

"Pa…padeti…" He groaned.

The low hum that had blasted at the beginning of the match rang out again. The wolf's breath hitched, and his eyes turned completely animal. He snarled and charged at Dean. Dean froze as the red light and pain pounded again. When he came to, he was being tackled at the mid section by the wolf. The wolf picked Dean up and ran at the wall, slamming Dean hard against the cement. Dean gasped, the wind knocked out of him.

The wolf backed away and Dean slumped to the floor. His head pounded and the edges of his vision went dark. The crowd was cheering, shouting "death blow!" over and over again. Dean knew that this was the end. As he felt himself fading away, he felt another part of himself awaken. His long term memory stopped when the wolf raised his clawed hand to deliver the blow.

With a new burst of strength, Dean leapt at the wolfman. They both went flying into the sand, but this time Dean was the one doing to growling. His claws tore up the bare chest of the wolfman's torso. The wolfman yelped and whined, but Dean just kept tearing.

The wolf crawled across the sand, leaving a trial of blood. Terror in his eyes, he whimpered when the shadow of the most ferocious animal it had ever met fell upon him. He heard the kick of the sand as it got closer. Once more the call to kill rang in it's head. But his body couldn't heed the call anymore. The wolf felt the hands around his neck, and didn't even have time to think before his head was spun almost all the way around with a final high-pitched yelp.

Dean huffed. It was finally over. The wolf lie dead in the sand before him, covered in scratch marks. Dean gave one final growl, a sort of _take that._ Suddenly a rope was around his neck and Dean yowled as he was yanked back towards the door. Once he was back inside the small room, more goons held his arms in place. Another approached Dean from the front and jabbed a long needle into his neck. Dean's vision blurred and he moaned as the tranquilizers took their hold.

* * *

A/N: SOOOO sorry! I know its been a while. I just haven't been that inspired lately. And plus I had just suffered the biggest disappointment of my life. But then my sister came home for her spring break, and she helped me get over it.

I think this chapter turned out pretty good. It seems kind of dull in the beginning though. Sorry for any spelling or grammatical errors.

Please! Read, review, and enjoy!

Was anybody else having trouble updating stories? I meant to post this a long time ago but it wouldn't let me...


	8. Not a coincidence! Sam

Sam's second match is approaching. What dangers lurk in this damned tournament...

* * *

Sam jumped to his feet, and watched as the screen showed images of his brother being pulled back into the room he had emerged from. Dean's physical state was a lot worse than Sam could have imagined. And from what he had just seen Dean do, so was his mental state. Sam flipped off the television as the screen changed to a different match, and paced the room, rubbing a small patch of scales on his scalp that had been itching a lot lately.

Sam had been watching the henchmen that escorted everyone in and out of the matches very closely. At first it seemed like there had no process between the men and the wall, and that they just simply walked through it. But Sam began to notice a recurring action that was so small, and so fast, Sam hadn't seen it until he was taken to his second match.

Sam had been clawing around the room, looking for any passageways or air ducts that would lead him out. But his room, and the whole building for that matter seemed to be completely sealed. Just as Sam had finally finished scraping away the plaster in one corner of his room, Circes' minions appeared and yanked him off of his feet. Clasping Sam's arms behind his back, they lead him back down the hallway and into the main lobby area and once again started heading for the wall. Sam's mind was reeling. It had barely been four days since his last match, and Sam was barley recovered from it. Circes must have known that Sam would stop at nothing to find his brother and kill her, so the only logical thing to do was to keep him busy by fighting for his life.

But as they were about to walk through the wall, the minion on Sam's left hesitated a step. Sam snapped his head to look at the guards face, and saw that the man was actually looking at the upper left-hand corner of the wall. But just as soon as the motion was there, the man looked straight-forward again and shoved Sam through the wall and back into the cavern, with the roar of the crowd muffled by the huge iron door.

What had the guard been looking at? Was it some kind of retinal scan or facial recognition that caused the door to appear in the wall? Sam didn't have very much time to think about it, before Circes began to announce him as a contestant. Sam didn't listen to her, the only thing he picked up was that his opponent was a man with a foreign name, and was also a street boxing champion. Circes did not say what kind of animal he was. The door in front of Sam opened again, revealing the huge crowd and the arena beyond the door frame. Sam didn't step towards it. One of the guards standing against the wall stepped off and towards Sam. Sam didn't move. The guard grabbed Sam Winchester by the back of the neck and, squeezing a little, shoved Sam out the door and into the fight.

Sam straightened himself and looked across the arena at his opponent. He didn't look as human as Liz, but he was also nowhere near as animal as the thing Dean was fighting. Or Dean himself for that matter. His head, chest and arms were spotted with feathers, and the man's nose had already pointed out in the beginnings of a beak. His hands were scaly and his fingernails looked more like talons. But past the legs of his shorts, his skin was covered in a short golden fur, and his legs had evolved into both a quadrapedal and bipedal movement structure. Medium sized wings sat on his back, not completely functional for flying. The man's face was slightly panicked, his pupils dilated, and his breath very short. Sam estimated his age to be younger than himself, if only by a couple of years.

Circes stood and waved her hands, declaring the match as started. The white lights once again sprang from her hands into the arena and zoomed towards the two contestants. The orb struck Sam's chest before he could even react to dodge it. The heaviness from before weighed his arms down, and the silver lining appeared at the edges of his vision. But the heaviness didn't seem so constraining as it had before. Sam looked across the arena at his Griffon opponent and saw that the young man was already running at him. Sam was running forward as well, racing to meet him in the arena. Sam drew his fist back and just as they were about to collide, lunged forward, throwing his body into the blow.

Sam's fist punched the air. Sam took over and spun around to block the blow from behind that he knew was coming. But it wasn't fast enough, and a clawed foot shot into his stomach, knocking Sam backwards onto his ass. Sam rolled on his back away from the creature and sprang to his feet. He felt a strange hostility rise in his chest, animalistic and territorial. Sam charged his opponent and jumped on his chest, pressing his knee into the creatures shoulder. The screech that emanated throughout the stadium was shrill and horrendous. Sam gritted his teeth and pressed down harder and harder until he felt the collar bone and shoulder joint break.

Sam jumped back. The Griffon swung his remaining arm at Sam, and he felt the claws scrape across the delicate underbelly scales. Sam backed away grunting in pain. He put a hand to the gash in his abdomen and felt the hot blood flow over his hands. Sam snorted, furious at the creature across from him. Smoke puffed from his nostrils, hot embers burning behind his eyes. Sam immediately formulated an attack strategy and continued to place his feet accordingly. When Sam looked back on this match later, he would realize that everything from here on out was completely his will, and hadn't been controlled at all.

The griffon before him seemed to be changing before his very eyes. More feathers were spouting from every pore of his skin. Sam was about to charge again, when the griffon spread his wings and thrust them downward, the great feathers sending him twenty feet in the air. Sam stood and watched the creature arc, and was too slow to realize that its great furry feet were coming straight at him. Sam was pile-driven in the ground before he even knew what to do.

The griffon's lion paws left tiny puncture marks in Sam's chest, but that was nothing compared to the pain in his back and head. Sam's vision spun and the edges of his vision was black. He laid there for a few moments before he tried getting up again. A searing pain stabbed his shoulder, and as the griffons beak clamped down harder and harder into Sam's joint Sam couldn't help but let loose a terrible roar that shook the stadium and the monitors. Circes, safe in her box, shuddered with delight.

Sam yanked away before the griffon could do to Sam what he had done to the griffon. But the meat and scales scraped away with the sharp, jagged beak. Blood spattered the ground, and Sam could barely feel his arm. Feel anything at all, in fact. He chanced a glance at the top of his shoulder, and almost barfed. Basically the entire muscle of his shoulder and the top half of his bicep was gone. The small patch of pink bone glimmered in the stadium light. The monitors above the arena were zoomed in on the wound, showing the audience exactly what damage had been done. Some turned away with disgust, and others cheered loudly as they watched the griffon chew on the meat, almost savoring it.

But then the griffon screeched and spat the meat out. Turns out that the meat from Sam's shoulder had turned to burning ash and coal. The griffon thrashed his head, trying to get the smoldering remnants off of his tongue. Sam saw this as his chance to strike. He stood up, his arm swinging loosely, and willed, begged for the fire to ignite within him. He bared his teeth, getting ready to open his jaws. But he didn't see smoke curling from his nostrils, nor did he feel the burning in the back of his throat. Sam swore at himself and bit his lips in frustration.

The griffon recovered from his hot experience. The edges of his beak were singed, and his tongue had been reduced to a black stump. The griffon took a step forward and screamed at Sam, flaring his wings. His broken joint had mostly healed, and with that, the griffon gave a mighty flap and took to the air.

Sam watched from the ground as the griffon circled higher and higher. At the peak of it's spiral, he folded his wings and plummeted back towards the earth. Back towards Sam. When the griffon was mere meters from the ground, he unfurled his wings and slammed his feet into Sam's face, quickly climbing back into his spiral. Sam jumped back to his feet, his nose most likely broken. His shoulder was throbbing, but it had stopped bleeding, which Sam knew was a bad sign. Sam saw his vision turning into a tunnel. He knew he wasn't going to last much longer. Sam breathed slower, slowing his heart down, and his lungs seemed to open up into a vast space. The griffon was coming back into his mad dive. Sam could feel the burning build in his chest. The griffon unfurled his wings. Sam took a deep breath-

_WHOOSH!_

In one second, the griffon was alighted with fire. Like some angel of hell, every feather ignited and blazed with a white, almost blue flame. The next second, the charred body of the corpse was crashing into Sam, sending him and the remains sliding across the floor. Sam shoved the corpse off of him quickly, leaving singe marks on his scales. The audience was in an uproar. Sam sat up, gripping his shoulder. His face felt different somehow, more pushed out around his mouth and nose. Sam had no doubt in his mind that it was the beginnings of a snout. It wasn't till he was steady on his feet that hands grabbed him from behind and dragged him back to the tunnel. Sam managed one look over his shoulder as Circes' box, only to see her turning around to leave as well.

Once again, Sam watched the guard's eyes steadily. They flickered up to the upper left hand corner of the room, the thugs never breaking their stride. It was no coincidence, then. There was some process that allowed all the guards, and whatever they were touching to pass through these secret halls.

Sam gasped as they threw him back inside his own room, where Kale was loyally waiting for him. Sam fell to his knees, his hand clasping his injured shoulder.

"Sam!" Kale said running towards him, his partial hooves clopping on the ground. "Did that nasty griffon do this to you?" Kale spoke softly.

Sam smirked through the pain. As awkward as Kale was, Sam was in fact glad to have a friend within this prison. Sam groaned as another bought of pain shot through his body. Kale dragged Sam by his good shoulder over to the couch area where he laid Sam down, his wounded shoulder facing towards him. He could feel Kale's hands trying to move his own, but he found the notion was just making him grip his shoulder tighter.

"Sam, honey, I need you to trust me." Kale said, a little more stern this time. "I'm going to fix this."

Something about Kale's voice reassured Sam. Sam removed his clawed hand from his scaly shoulder, both now covered in blood. Kale's light fingers danced over the wound, lightly touching the exposed flesh, even brushing against the pink bone. Then Kale gripped Sam's wound roughly. Sam cried, shocked by the immense pain and bucked under Kale's grip.

"Sam! Sam, look at me!" Kale said, taking one hand off of the wound and grabbing Sam's chin. "Sam, you are going to be okay! Everything is going to be fine. Just keep looking at me!"

Sam focused on Kale's face. Just now, Sam was realizing that Kale's eyes weren't in fact brown, but a very vibrant hazel. They were a light brown on the outside of the iris, but then changed to an intense green towards the pupil. Kale looked away from Sam, but Sam kept his eyes glued to his. Kale's hands started to glow, and a warm tingling sensation crept from his injured shoulder to his entire body. Sam watched as Kale's mouth started to hang open slightly, his eyes rolled back into his head, and the skin on his forehead, right in the center of the bump that rested there, split open. A spiraling horn burst forth, growing a good one, two, three inches away from Kale's head. Sam watched, fascinated, until a bright light that came from Kale's hands blinded him.

Sam shut his eyes against the light, and his body went numb for a second. When Sam opened his eyes again, Kale was leaning away from Sam, suddenly out of breath and woozy. The horn remained, glistening and almost glowing. Sam sat up and looked down at his shoulder. The wound was gone. The only signs that something had happened was that the scales on Sam's shoulder were now a clear silver, rather than green. Sam laid a hand over the scales, and found that they were warm to the touch. Sam got off of the couch and helped bring Kale up onto it, who was giving swooning noises and making a big show of the whole thing.

"Thank you, Sam." Kale said after Sam brought him a glass of water from the bathroom. "Oh, that took a lot out of me."

"No, Kale." Sam said. "Thank you. You pretty much saved my life."

"Think nothing of it, babe." Kale said, then proceeded to down the water Sam gave him.

Sam could not take his eyes off of the horn on Kale's forehead. For days, Sam had been trying to figure out what Kale was. The hooves, the long hair that traveled down his back, and now a horn? Sam couldn't think of anything that…wait a minute.

"Kale." Sam said, getting his attention. "Are you a unicorn?"

Kale smiled widely. "The one and only!"

* * *

A/N: Haha, okay, you had to see that coming. Just in case I didn't make it painfully obvious, yes, Kale is gay. Is this going to be a SamxOC? No. Kale is a supporting character, but not _that_ Supporting. Rylie on the otherhand...

I could give you a half-assed story as to why this took so long, but it's the same story as with my other updates. Read, review, and enjoy!


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